15 January 2013

Thinking about olives

The guidelines for the 2013 journal quilt challenge have been announced by the Contemporary Quilt group (open to members only, sorry...). I've done JQs every year, and documented them on my website, so I'm raring to go with the new batch.

The constraints are the size, 12"x8", and the orientation - horizontal. And, a theme must be stated on signing up.

I saw somewhere - ah, it was here - an artwork by Yvonne Porcella inspired by "Olive trees, new industry and tasting rooms open in our area. I’ve done several works with the theme of olive. Great color combination, olive green, black, and of course, those red pimento stuffed ones."

Also I remembered a degree show at Central St Martins, years ago, where one textile student used olives as her theme - black ones, yellow-green ones, olive-green ones ... in many techniques and many configurations. It was hellish impressive, how much creative juice she squeezed out of those olives!

So, my theme found me. I'm partial to those round shapes in their variety, to the possibilities of marinade and the textures therein, to the nuances of colour, to the practical and symbolic possibilities, of the Humble Olive.

The research will include:Olive oil.Olive trees.
Olives in history.
Olives in diet.Olive branches, etc, symbolically.
Other things related to olives - the wonderful labels on olive oil bottles and tins. (Hmm, perhaps use the tins themselves...)

1 comment:

and harvesing in general:http://www.olivepicking.com/The-Olive-Harvest.html

the lovely stone presses too. see the images: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=olive+press&hl=en&tbo=d&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-Address&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=tnv2UL_POYjB0gXYiYCYAg&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAA&biw=1888&bih=1064

Tuesday is Drawing Day - why not join in, wherever you are, any or every Tuesday? Find somewhere that has interesting things - it needn't be a museum, it could be your own home! - and just draw, using whatever media you want. Ask some friends to join you, then have a nice lunch.

The London group has grown to the point where it's getting difficult to find a cafe table large enough, and reluctantly I must say that it is no longer open to new members.

6 March - Natural History Museum (pm; meet in cafe behind/under the main stairs at 3.30)